It's probably hard to say this without stepping on someone toes, but the artwork for the Aptosid desktop is not very good, in my opinion. Obviously that's something that a user can change, but first impressions count for a lot and Aptosid is not putting its best foot forward in this department.

Often times I will install a new distro and be simply blown away by the presentation of the desktop. "If it looks good on the outside it must be good on the inside". I know that's superficial, but thats how a lot of people think.

DonKult

Post subject: RE: Apstosid artwork Posted: 19.11.2011, 15:57

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I am not into art (you know, i am what usually is referred to as 'a man without taste'), but i am used to complain department work (yeap, this one) so your post is a bit unsatisfying:
What is it what you don't like exactly? The color, the form factor, the logo, the composition, missing [cloths optional] babes, …

Oh, and good that you have mentioned it: Art is really something a user can change - beside that in a opensource community you have the benefit of being able to change everthing… So if you have a great idea don't hesitate to get in touch and post something.

But be prepared to be criticized. Unfortunately is art not a binary business where you make it either right or wrong. For example, if you make the greatest design in the universe, but the previously mentioned babes are included in a proposal, i will step up as the not-appointed not-authorized women's officer and at-least-appointed-in-my-hometown young leader and flame you to death.
Keep also in mind that the design is more than just a single wallpaper.

It's not so much that it has the scorpion in it, but rather that it has so many scorpions floating around in the sky for no reason, over a mountain, with really awful looking purple beams coming down either side of the mountain. The scorpion on it's own is not a horrible design, but this particular compostion is bewildering.

"If it looks good on the outside it must be good on the inside". I know that's superficial, but thats how a lot of people think.

I can't believe a serious person would make a decision about a computer operating system based on the splash screen or initial theme. Especially not a person who knows anything about KDE. Such people know that it will take all of 3 minutes to change the default theme to something they like better.

CaesarTjalbo

Post subject:Posted: 22.11.2011, 19:42

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mustard wrote:

but the artwork for the Aptosid desktop is not very good, in my opinion.

It changes per release but some were imo sub-par indeed.

mustard wrote:

Obviously that's something that a user can change, but first impressions count for a lot and Aptosid is not putting its best foot forward in this department.

Agreed but if this itches you, feel free to scratch it. That's the rule of the FLOSS game.

Look at it this way: after seeing the wallpaper, users may be pleasantly surprised at how well behaved the distro is.

"aptosid: the distro that leaves you with a 1st and 2nd impression."

dpt

Post subject:Posted: 25.11.2011, 12:51

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Aptosid is the distro that made me use KDE and stop distro-hop.

One can always use the wallpapers, icons, fonts, colors etc. etc. one likes.

The OS has to have simple and easy navigation, has to work, and fast.

Personally I believe in the KISS policy.

Have a nice day.

dpt

_________________In a lunatic asylum, everyone thinks that he is the doctor.

colouredostd

Post subject:Posted: 07.12.2011, 14:01

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Hi, introductions first - I am new to aptosid, but in no way new to linux, although apt is kinda new to me.
I was drawn to aptosid due to it ingenious underlying architecture, debian (ie: stability), with that bleeding edge balance, and of course kde - gnome 3 is something else.. at the moment.

But, along with the OP, once I aptosid installed and was greeted with http://wiki.aptosidusers.de/index.php?t ... ra-kdm.png - my immediate thought was I need to change that, while I may not understand exactly the idea/approach you are taking with the artwork, I just don't find it appealing to the eye, like the OP said some feel that what they might see on the outside resembles what lies beneath. Knowing otherwise I have chosen to stick with aptosid.
However, I do have a keen interest in art and photography alike and have to said in the nicest possible way that the artwork doesn't do the distro justice.

If you look at the default kde artwork, and the themes you might apply along the way, its not hard to see that the two don't mix well.
Rather I feel that the 'crux' theme might be well suited to the default BG.

Please don't take this the wrong way, I only intend to see this distro grow and, with the groundwork as it currently stands it has a huge amount of potential!

to this i'd only add, I'M FEELIN THE OP'S LINKED-TO APTOSID ARTWORK (tho the OP is fully entitled to his opinions and other orofices).

as you can see by my avatar, coming upon aptosid after far too long wandering in the parched desert of shoddy/overpriced proprietary and half-baked foss software... coming upon the oasis of aptosid was a spiritual/semi-religious experience for me.

i'm probably not the only one, around here.

so looking up at radiance emanating from a tall rocky mountain-top, with a weird hermaphrodite crab/scorpion thing whose origins are lost in the shifting mists of time and the light-speed evolutions of the interweb scuttling aroun... I FEEL IT.

others are welcome to prefer cuddly kittens, a cartoon dragon, or british lion (lion's in britain. really?). NOT I!!!

The aptosid artwork got worse and more inconsistent in recent releases, a concept is not perceivable anymore.

DonKult

Post subject: Re: hiiii Posted: 17.02.2012, 15:52

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WillamK wrote:

The aptosid artwork got worse and more inconsistent in recent releases, a concept is not perceivable anymore.

The aptosid first-time posters got worse and (yet) more consistent in recent times, a concept of constructive criticism or self-made contributions is not perceivable anymore.

(as you might notice, the thread was about another theme than the last poster seem to imply -- the main-color in the last one changed in respect to the previous one. Is that to be criticized? Is it the usage of fred? [you are going to hate the next one then] If someone really cares (s)he would write a constructive criticism and our awesome heros of artwork could maybe have an eye on that next time. But general 'bla bla everything sucks bla bla dumb bla bla' doesn't help anyone…)

Just remember that taste is subjective and a constant inconsistency would be a consistency in itself. Other people need to go to the jungle to get 'famous' again. Seems like we just need to release a new artwork to get us into everybody's mind. Mission accomplished i would say.
(and that is only the worst interpretation for those who absolutely dislike the artwork. All others can actually enjoy them. Win-win)

_________________MfG. DonKult
"I never make stupid mistakes. Only very, very clever ones." ~ The Doctor

kb0hae

Post subject: RE: Re: hiiii Posted: 19.02.2012, 23:29

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Whether a person likes artwork or not is highly subjective. I like the splash screen described by the original poster, as well as the previous (abtosid tree) splash screen. There have been a few themes that I really disliked (I hate grey!) but instead of complaining, I just took the 3 minutes to change them to something I liked.

I tend to change wallpapers every 6-8 weeks or so, mostly adding 1 of 2 aptosid logos to a picture that I like (easy enough to do in Gimp). Much of the time I will use a photo that I have taken myself.